Propeller rollers for printing machines



June 24, 1958 v c. A. HARLESS 2,840,376

PROPELLER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

BY C/wr/e: 4. Ha f em June 24, 1958 c. A. HARLESS 2,340,376

I PROPELLER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Qfar/es 4 Hor/em June 24, 1958 c. A. HARLESS PROPELLER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2. 1954 I INVENTOR. (hr/es 6. How/95s June 24, 1958 c. A. HARLESS 2,8

PROPELLER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'III] IN V EN TOR.

Arm/way United States atentO ice PROPELLER ROLLERS FOR PRlNTING MACHINES Charles A. Harless, Riverside, Conn., assignor to R. Hoe & (10., Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,713

9 Claims. (Cl. 271-64) This invention relates to mounting for propeller rollers in printing machine deliveries.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with the mounting of rollers such as cooperate with the transfer cylinders interposed between the folding mechanism of a web printing machine folder and the delivery cylinders thereof. It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved propeller roller support embodying provision for parallel and cocking adjustment of the roller with relation to a cooperating cylinder, so as to provide for products of different thickness, for diflerence in thickness between the edges of a given product and for the application of higher pressure to a folded edge, where desired.

A propeller roller mounting embodying the invention in the preferred form will now be described with ref-.

erence to the accompanying drawing and the features forming the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic and symbolic view showing one type of folder in which the mechanism of the invention may be incorporated to advantage;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale, showing two propeller roller mountings associated with a transfer cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of the mountings, showing the means for moving one end of the roller thereof;

Fig. 3a is a similar detail sectional view of the same mounting, showing the means for moving the other end of theroller;

Fig. 4 is a section of the line 44 of Fig.2; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows in diagram form, a folder, cut-ofi and delivery in which the propeller roller mounting of the invention may be incorporated to advantage.

There is indicated generally at 10, web slitting and associating mechanism, followed by a former 11, which folds a ribbon or batch of associated ribbons longitudinally, cutting cylinders 12 and 12, folding cylinders 13 and 13', transfer cylinders 14 and ,14', with which are associated propeller rollers 15, 16 and 15, 16' and delivery cylinders 17, 18 and 17', 18, delivering products to the delivery tapes 19, and 19, 20. The structural details of the various elements, except as hereinafter described, form no part of the present invention.

The products may be folded longitudinally or transversely, or both, and collected or not collected, in any way desired without afiecting the mechanism of the present invention. In fact it is a major object to provide for any desired variety of products to be produced by the folding, cut-01f and. delivery mechanism (which, hereinafter, will be referred to simply as the folder, for brevity and in accordance with common usage).

Since the transfer cylinder 14' and its associated mechanism may be identical (except for the difference between 2,840,376 Patented June 24, 1958 right and left hand arrangement), with cylinder 14 and its associated mechanism, only the latter requires descrip: tion in detail.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the propeller roller 16 comprises a shaft 30 to which are fixed a number of roller sections, each comprising a collar element 31 fixed to the shaft 30, a slidable element 32 bolted to the element 31, and a ring 33 of rubber or similar yielding and frictional material of trapezoidal section and clamped in a dovetail groove, which is formed between the members 31 and 32, by bolting the latter member to the former member. Intermediate smooth surfaced collar elements 35 are also provided for limiting lifting of the center part of the product from cylinder 14. The product holding points 36 of the cylinder 14 are accommodated by grooves 37 in elements 32 and 35 and in the spaces between these elements. These spaces also accommodate guide wheels 40, furnished with rubber tires and rotatably carried by curved supports 42 generally concentric to cylinder 14.

Propeller roller shaft 30 is journaled by anti-friction bearings 45 (Figs. 3 and 5) in a pair of bell cranks 46 pivotally mounted on the machine frames 48, by means of studs 50 fixed in the frames. Studs 50 also support a bar 51 to which the supports 42 for the guide wheels 48 are bolted, as indicated. 7

Propeller roller shaft 30 is driven by means of a gear 55 fixed to this shaft and meshing with a gear 56 fixed to the shaft of cylinder 14. Studs 50 are located to position the roller shaft 30, with the propeller roller 16 in an intermediate normal operating position, so that any adjustment of the position of the propeller rol1er 16 will be to all intents and purposes, radial with respect to transfer cylinder 14. Gears 55 and 56 are preferably involute permitting a slight variation in distance between gear centers, caused by adjustment of the propeller roller position, without disturbing proper gear action.

Each of the bell cranks 46 carried on the studs 50 I has an arm 60 terminating in a fork 62, in which is rotatably carried a poppet or nut 64 having an internally threaded bore receiving the correspondingly threaded end of a link or rod 66. Each of the rods 66 carries a Worm wheel 67, which is keyed to the shaft 66 and held axially upon it by means of a collar 68 and nuts69. The hub of worm wheel 67 is grooved, as shown, to provide shoulders 70, between which is positioned a housing 71, rotatably attached to the machine frame 48 by a pin 72 (Fig. 4).

A cross shaft 75 is rotatably carried in the housings 71 and carries worms 76, Within the housings and in mesh with the worm wheels 67, previously referredto. One end of shaft 75 stops short of the adjacentframe 48 while the other end is continued by ashaft section 77 fixed to it by a coupling 78 and passing through an opening 79 in the other frame 48, which opening is of sufficient size to accommodate the movements'hereinafter described.

Also fixed to the pin 72 in the frame 48 and on the outer face of frame 48 is a plate 80 (Fig. 4), having an internally threaded bore receiving the correspondingly threaded shank of a hand wheel 81 rotatably carried on the cross-shaft extension 77. A locking hand wheel 82 has an internally threaded inner bore section 83, engaging the threaded shank of hand wheel 81 and a larger unthreaded outer bore section 84 slidably accommodating the shank of hand wheel 81. A third hand wheel 85 is fixed to the end of cross shaft extension 77, hand wheel 81 being fixed axially to the shaft section 77 by reason of its abutment against hand wheel 85 at one end and coupling 78 at the other. The hand wheels 81, 82, and 85 are used for adjusting shaft 75 rotatively and axiall to adjust the roller position as described below.

The threaded tips of the two rods 66 which engage back aconsiderable "distance, suflicient to be out of con tact with 'any product on cylinder 14 and taking gear 55 out of mesh with gear 56. A stop 90 (Fig. 3) serves to limit .movementof roller 16 toward roller 14, as a safetymeasure (Fig. 3). K

If, instead of, or' in addition to rotating the shaft 75 by meansof hand :wheel 85 it is moved axially by turning hand wheel 81, the roller-16 will be cocked, either end, as desired, being brought closer to cylinder 14 and the other being movedfurther away from cylinder 14 by a cor-responding amount. This action is obtained because axial movement'of shaft 75 turns the two worm wheels 67 in the same direction and the rods to which these wheels are fixed being-threaded to opposite hands into the nuts .64 and 65, the resulting movements of the two nuts will be in opposite directions. Hand wheel 81, when not in use, is locked by screwing handwheel 82 down against plate 80, locking shaft 75 in position.

Numerals which appear on Fig. 2 with a superscript prime designate parts associated with the propeller roller 15. 1 These parts correspond with parts asociated with propeller roller .16, that bear the same numbers without the prime superscript, and which are fully described in the specification.

As will be -apparentfr'om the foregoing description, the mechanism disclosed above provides in a simple and reliable manner for all needed movements and adjustmerits ofcthe parts and for selective movement without one intendedordesired adjustmen't interfering with another. First of all, if it is desired'to move the roller 16 toward or awayfrom the cylinder 14 by parallel movement, or movementin which bothends are moved through equal distances, this is readily achieved by turning the handle 85; Asisappare nt, this turns shaft 77 without rotating hand wheels 81 or Hand in consequence rotates the shaft 75 without moving it axially. The pitch of the gears 76 at thetwo ends of the roller being the same, equal movements will {be imparted to the rods 66 at its two ends and hence to the two ends of the roller. If

it is desired to coc'k the, roller, this is accomplished by moving shaft 75 axially without turning it; Turning hand wheel 81 (backing off hand wheel 82 as necessary to free the parts) movesvt'he shaft axially by reason of the screw 83. Since the worm and worrn wheel associated with th'e tworods 66 are of opposite hands, there will be aclockwise torque exerted on shaft 75 by one of these mechanismsand a counterclockwisetorque by the other, thus not tending" necessarily to rotate shaft 77 at i all. Should there be a tendency toward such rotation,it

can be avoided by holding the handle 85 'or its effect may be avoided by adjusting this handle after the cocking of the roller has been effected. i I

The assembly described above, and including the propeller roller and its entire supporting "and adjusting structure constitutes a standard sub-unit or component which iscapable of fitting in a variety of locations in the machine, as required by need for accommodating other parts and the profile of the machine frames. For example, the mounting parts for the two propeller rollers shown may be arranged quite differently, than as shown in the drawing, without any essential change in the parts. Thus arm 66 instead of, being lined up with the axis of poppet 64 and the roller shaft 30 may be at an angle thereto and still produce the required movements. Also, it will .be noted as in the case of theroller 15 that the the bell crank may be altered where convenient. In the case of the roller 15, it will be observed that the roller shaft 30 is carried in one arm of the bell crank, the poppet 64 in the other arm and the pivot stud 50 is centrally located. The arrangement shown in connec tion with roller 16 is preferable where the rods 66 are conveniently located in a radial position, whereas the arrangement shown in connection with roller 16 is preferable where these rods are conveniently located in a tangential position with reference to the cylinder 14.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising a pair of pivotal arms supporting a roller for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm for adjustably positioning the same, a means operable by means of a single operating member for actuating the two said operating means equally and in the same direction to regulate the distance of the roller from its cooperating cylinder, and a further means also operable by the said single operating member for actuating the two' first said operating means equally but in opposite directions to position the said arms an unequal distance from the cylinder for cocking the roller.

2. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising roller supporting arms mounted for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm comprising a rod having a threaded end, a poppet carried by the arm and threadably receiving one end of the rod, a gear wheel carried by the other end of the rod and having teeth at an angle to the rod axis, and a shaft extending transversely of the said axis, a gear carried thereby and in driving engagement with the first said gear and having teeth at a complementary angle to the shaft axis, and means operable selectively for turning the shaft to rotate the said rod and for moving the shaft axially to rotate the said rod.

' 3. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder'and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising roller supporting arms mounted for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm comprising a rod having a threaded end, a poppet carried by the arm and threadably receiving one end of the rod and a gear wheel carried by the other end of the rod and having teeth at an angle to the rod axis, and a shaft extending transversely of the said axis, gears carried thereby and in driving engagement with the first said gears and having teeth at a complementary angle to the shaft axis, and means operable selectively for turning the shaft to rotate the said rods and for moving the shaft axially to rotate the said rods.

4. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising roller supporting arms mounted for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm comprising a rod having a threaded end, a poppet carried by the arm and threadably receiving one end of the rod and a gear wheel carried by the other end of the rod and having teeth at an angle to the rod axis, and a shaft extending transversely of the said axis, gears carried thread being so related as to move the two arms equally in the same direction upon turning the shaft and in opposite directions upon moving the shaft axially.

5. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising roller supporting arms mounted for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm comprising a rod having a threaded end, a poppet carried by the arm and threadably receiving one end of the rod and a worm wheel carried by the other end of the rod, and a shaft extending transversely of the said axis, Worms carried thereby and in driving engagement with the said worm gear wheels and means operable selectively for turning the shaft to rotate the said rods and for moving the shaft axially to rotate the said rods, the said worm, worm gear wheels and thread being so related as to move the two arms equally in the same direction upon turning the shaft and in opposite directions upon moving the shaft axially.

6. A propeller roller mounting according to claim 5, in which the said threaded ends are respectively right and left hand, and the worms are also respectively right and left hand.

7. In a printing machine folder having a paper handling cylinder and propeller roller cooperating therewith, a propeller roller mounting comprising roller supporting arms mounted for movement toward and away from a cooperating cylinder, operating means for each said arm comprising a rod having a threaded end, a poppet carried by the arm and threadably receiving one end of the rod, a gear wheel carried by the other end of the rod and having teeth at an angle to the rod axis, and a shaft extending transversely of the said axis, a gear carried thereby in driving engagement with the first said gear and having teeth at a complementary angle to the shaft axis, means operable selectively for turning the shaft to rotate the said rod and for moving the shaft axially to rotate the said rod, and shaft supporting and operating means comprising members rotatably carrying the shaft, rotatably carried by the rods and axially fixed with respect to the rods, and means pivotally mounting the said members for angular movement about an axis parallel to the said shaft.

8. A propeller roller mounting according to claim 7,

in which the pivotal mounting for one of the said members comprises a pin passing through the machine frame and rotatively supported thereby, and a plate external to the frame and holding the member inposition axially of the shaft.

9. A propeller roller mounting according to claim 8, in which the said shaft has an extension passing through the frame and through an aperture in the said plate, and

comprising a handle secured to the said shaft, for turning the same, and a handle coaxial with and surrounding the said shaft, means mounting the second said handle rotatably and fixing the same axially upon the shaft, the second said handle having a threaded shank engaged in a correspondingly threaded bore in the said plate, whereby turning the second said handle moves the shaft axially.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

